True crime fans “unable to sleep” after watching Brian Cohee documentary

A documentary about the crimes of Brian Cohee was released over the weekend, and it’s left true crime fans “unable to sleep.”

Cohee was 19 when he murdered and dismembered 69-year-old Warren Barnes, a homeless man who was sleeping near Crosby Avenue, Colorado. 

The crime, which unfolded in early 2021, was uncovered when Cohee’s mother called the police after finding what she believed to be a human head in her son’s closet. 

A new 105-minute documentary was released on the true crime channel Explore With Us on Sunday, March 24, exploring various details surrounding the case. This includes the chilling audio from Cohee’s mother’s 911 call, his parents’ questioning, and Cohee’s confession. 

The feature also presents police dashcam footage of the moment authorities turned up at the Cohee residence and of a business owner who reported Barnes missing prior to Cohee’s arrest. 

More than 900,000 viewers have tuned into the documentary at the time of writing, with many expressing their thoughts on the disturbing nature of the crime. 

Taking to X, one wrote, “Just finished watching a documentary about Brian Cohee Jr. I have to get up in 5 hrs. I won’t be able to sleep. There’s people like that who exist in this world.”

“I’m so glad they gave him life in prison,” said another, while a third added, “Brian Cohee’s parents after learning that the decapitated head their son had in his closet was that of the nicest homeless man in the town.”

Cohee’s interrogation has also sparked an emotional reaction – as is stated in the documentary, he appears “excited” as he describes what he did and tells officers that he wanted to find a homeless victim as authorities “don’t seem to care as much.”

“That ‘homeless guy’ was worth infinitely more than you, Brian,” wrote one on YouTube, while another said about Barnes, “Has had a job for four years, never missed it, and was still homeless. Society failed that man.”

Others have been flooding Cohee’s Reddit account u/that_stinky_boi with angry messages, including this person who commented, “Have fun in prison punk! You’re gonna get some special treatment.”

Cohee was found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2023 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

Where to watch the Brian Cohee documentary

The Brian Cohee documentary, titled ‘Parents Discover Teen Son’s Horrifying Secret’, is available to stream in full on YouTube. 

You can watch it below – viewer discretion is advised:  

As stated in the synopsis: “In today’s true crime documentary, we’re covering the case of Brian Cohee and analyzing it from an educational, legal, and psychological perspective.”

For more true crime, here are all the new documentaries hitting streaming this month. And you can find the best new movies coming out here.